“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.” 

-Paul Hawken, entrepreneur, journalist and author

As a CMCA, you have shown a commitment to your profession by staying informed about current community association issues and holding yourself to a high standard of professional conduct.

Check out the updated “CMCAs Only” section on our website. You’ll find

• Resources to assist you in your career, including: CAI Professional Management Development Program (PMDP) course schedules,
• Links to CAI chapters and the Job Market,
• The Directory of Credentialed Professionals,
• A sample press release you can use to spread the word about your certification,
• Information you can share with your employers in order to gain support for your professional development,
• Application and dates for recertification, so you can keep your CMCA certification current—and keep your homeowners and employers confident in your ability to provide quality service, and
• How to stay connected to other CMCAs by joining the Listserv or subscribing to Community Association Management Smartbrief, the CMCA weekly e-newsletter.

A record 34% of employees say that their supervisors behave unethically, up from less than a quarter in 2009, according to a Ethics Resource Center survey. That’s especially troubling because research suggests that it’s workers’ immediate managers, rather than top executives, who shape their perception of a company, says Gallup CEO Jim Clifton. “The leader can make breathless remarks about integrity, values, mission and purpose … but [as an employee] I am going to judge him or her based on the actions of my manager,” Clifton says. Read the whole article in Business Ethics Magazine.

Browse the 2011 National Business Ethics Survey.

In 2010, NBC-CAM and its affiliate, Community Associations Institute (CAI) signed a letter of intent with South African housing authorities to develop a partnership that will enable the South Africans to take advantage of an education curriculum, professional credentials and best practices created by NBC-CAM and CAI.

Johan Kruger attended the CAI M-100 Essentials of Community Associations Management course and sat for the CMCA examination, earning certification in December 2010. Throughout this process, Johan “learned that the South African developers did very good research and used the United States as a reference. Very good ideas from the United States were included in some of the developments, especially concerning lifestyle improvements. In South Africa, most of the estate managers (community association managers) are employed by the association itself and the association management companies are very small.”

“It is a huge opportunity for us in South Africa to obtain an internationally recognised qualification. Although I have a university degree in commerce and have been in this position for almost 10 years, I sensed new respect from the board and the members. The CMCA credential assisted me in getting a broader perspective of the industry,” said Johan. Johan adheres to his mantra of “keep it simple and make it happen,” when managing his 879-unit Pecanwood Estate, which includes such amenities as the first Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course in the nation, a boat club, health spa, gym, tennis courts and a recreation area. The name, inspired by the grove of pecan nut trees on the property, has established a benchmark for the golf courses in South Africa. Moreover, the development also served as a catalyst for the tremendous growth in the area, creating the need for an expert community association manager.

Before joining the staff at Pecanwood Golf and Country Club as the marketing manager in 1999, he worked in event and venue management, organizing and promoting sporting events and rock concerts at stadiums. Soon, he was promoted to assistant estate manager and progressed from there to estate general manager in 2002. He continues to enjoy the interaction with the residents and staff. “It is also an amazing experience to see the estate develop (houses and landscaping) and reach maturity,” he said.

Johan echoed the sentiments of community association managers across the world, saying: “The biggest challenge for me is to manage the expectations of residents. If something is not working, it has an impact on all the residents.” Prior to taking the CMCA examination, Johan made a trip to the United States to tour several American associations. He concluded “that the problems are the same globally, but the solutions are local.” Johan’s experience also proves that, throughout the world, running a community association is like running a business: the best way for the homeowners to protect their investment is by hiring a qualified, board-certified CMCA.

“To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.”

–Elbert Hubbard, American writer, artist and philosopher

The 2012 employment outlook for community association management looks exceptionally strong, according to a new 5-page special report. Released on February 23, the report is based on a survey of 1,509 professionals in the industry conducted by NBC-CAM at the end of 2011. Of those surveyed, 1,351 (95.3 percent) held the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) credential, 771 (54.4 percent), held the Association Manager Specialist (AMS®) credential, and 317 (22.4 percent) held the Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM®).

When management company executives were asked to describe their hiring intentions in 2012, over one-third (33.5 percent) said they expected an increase in the total number of managers hired within their community or organization. Only 2.8 percent said they anticipated a decrease in hiring for the year.

If the community management hiring uptick in 2012 fulfills expectations of respondents, it will represent a significant improvement over a strong performance in 2011. Last year, 25.4 percent experienced increased hiring activity, which is 8.1 percent less than those expecting increased hiring activity in 2012. At the other end, 7.8 percent experienced decreased hiring activity in 2011, which is exactly 5 percent more than anticipate decreased hiring activity in 2012.

The report also incorporates findings from the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index Poll released in February 2012 and a CareerBuilder/Harris Interactive Poll released in December 2011. When compared with the NBC-CAM survey, both of these polls indicated that the employment outlook for community management was even more optimistic than it was for other industries overall.

The results were particularly encouraging, considering that the results from the Well Fargo/Gallup poll were the most optimistic since January 2008.

The NBC-CAM report also included major trends that should shape employment outcome in 2012, as well as possible hiring deterrents.

Click here to review the entire report.